Fabric feeding system



S. COHN ET AL FABRIC FEEDING SYSTEM Filed May 25, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l1945- s. col-m ET AL 2,391,547

FABRIC FEEDING SYSTEM Filed May 25, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORSJamaal fajm BY fades f7. ZVa/fzr HTTOlP/VE Y Patented Dee. 25, 1945FABRIC FEEDING SYSTEM Samuel Colin, New York, and Jules G. Walter,Ridgewood, N. Y.

'Application May 25, 1944, Serial No. 537,302

6 Claims.

This invention relates to the feeding of fabric and particularly to afeeding system in which an internal spreader or propeller within alength of tubular fabric cooperates with outer rolls to pass the fabricwhile maintaining it uniformly and regularly spread during the feeding.

The object of the invention is to provide cooperating inner and outerrolls shaped to bear evenly against the fabric between and to contactand grip the fabric similarly at all points so as to avoid relativeslippage between the fabric and rolls and the marking of the fabric bythe rolls during the passing of the fabric between them.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention Fig. 1 is a planview of a spreader having side supporting rolls cooperating with rollerson the spreading means within the fabric;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on enlarged scale taken on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of spreader structure;

Fig. 4a is a view partly in section of a portion of the apparatus shownin Fig. 4;

Fig. 4b is a sectional view on enlarged scale taken on the line lb-4b ofFig, 4;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of another form of spreader;

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view on enlarged scale of a portion of theapparatus shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on enlarged scale of the cooperating rolland roller of Fi 6; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a modified form of spreader.

In the specific embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4a, a tubular knit fabricF is stretched over the front spreader l and passed over the propellercastings H, II on each side and then along the rear spreader bars l2 tothe nip of gripping feed rolls at l3. Thespreader as a whole issupported by the side rolls [4, l4 grooved to cooperate with thepropeller rollers l5, l mounted in castings H.

The rolls I4 and rollers have substantially cylindrical surfaces I6, l'lengaging opposite surfaces of the fabric tube along each edge andapplying radial pressure to said surfaces.

The surfaces l6 of rolls M are inset with inclined surfaces l8 at eachend extending to the outermost peripheral surfaces l9. The surfaces llof the rollers l5 terminate short of surfaces l8 and have end surfacesinclined inward substantially parallel to the surfaces l8. Thesecooperating surfaces 18, 2|) take the axial thrust between the rolls androllers and make them selfcentering and confine this thrust to arelatively narrow area so that the extended surfaces l6, I! are underdirect perpendicular pressure radial in direction and with the fabricrunning at substantially equal linear velocities.

This combination of the roll and roller surfaces gives an extended areaof equal pressures and greater driving power in comparison withcontinuously arcuate cooperating surfaces tending toward a lineengagement concentrating the radial pressures and likely to result inmarking of the goods being handled. The fiat radial engagement of thepresent surfaces reduces the unit pressure and avoids slippage givingbetter control of the fabric propulsion with less wear and longer lifefor the engaging surfaces.

The spreader is preferabl adjustable in width, the telescoping tubes 24,2'5 connecting the castings ll being relatively slidable for thispurpose. In Figs. 4, 4a and 4b the castings Ila of the spreader areconnected by a rod 26 sliding in a tube 21 carrying a clamp 28 having anangular end 29 with orifice 30 fitting the rod 26 so as to tightly gripthe rod when tipped as shown in Fig. 4. A tongue 3| of the end 29extends through an opening in the bracket piece 32 of the tube 21 tohold the parts against longitudinal slippage and the other end of theclamp 28 has a yoke portion 33 straddling the tube 2! and carrying aspring member 34 with a lip 35 engaging tube 21 at 35 (Fig. 4b) to holdthe clamp in gripped position (Fig. 4). By pressure to the right on yoke33 the clamp may be tipped to inclined position (Fig. 4a), the lip 35 ofspring 34 slipping under the tube 21 to contact at the point 36 andretain the clamp in this released position in which the orifice 30freely slides on the rod 26. This adjustable connection is simple andpositive in action and may be manipulated by hand with the fabric inplace on the propeller, so that the adjustment in width may be madewithout removing tlze fabric from the spreader.

In Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 the cooperative surfaces are shown combined withanti-friction belting in contact with the fabric on the spreader. InFig. 5 the spreader is incorporated with a finishing machine of the typefor finishing tubular knit goods. The apparatus is mounted on a frame 40and includes a pair of pressure rollers, such as finishing rolls 4|,which may be heated and are driven through a speed changer 42 from shaft43, which drives propeller rolls 44. The spreader 45 comprises propellerheads 46 provided with studs 41 adiustably connected by sleeve 48 toprovide a unitary structure adjustable in width. Each head 46 isprovided with means extending internally along the margins of theflattened fabric for maintaining the fabric in distended position. Suchmeans includes a spreader bow 50 fixed to head 46 and having a curvedend portion for receiving an initially distending tubular fabric F.

From how 56 the fabric passes between propeller rolls 44 hearing againstspaced rolls 52, 53 on each head 46. In thi embodiment a belt isprovided at each side of the spreader traveling in suitable grooves 6|in rollers 52, 53 and in pulley 64 mounted on frame block 55 connectedby frame rods 55a to the head 46. Belt 5| may fit snugly in the groovesof the rollers 52, 53 and pulley 54 with the belt face protrudingslightly beyond the faces of said rollers and pulley as shown in Figs. 6and 1. Smooth surfaces are provided on rollers 62, 53 fo pressing thefabric against the abutting faces of propeller roll 44 which may besurfaced with rubber or other yieldable material, and for maintainingthe smooth travel of the fabric over the pulley 54 at the discharge endof belt 5| frame blocks 55 carry spring arms 66 engaging within thetubular dead bar 61 and yieldingly pressing this bar into the nip of therolls 4 I.

Each propeller roll 44 has an outer periphery 56 connected by inclinedsurfaces 51 with the set in surface 58 divided into two parts by thegroove 59 accommodating the protrusion of the belt 5| and fabric asshown in Fig. '1.

The rollers 53 have peripheral surfaces 60 opposite surfaces 58 andseparated by belt groove 6| opposite groove 59, the ends of the rollerbeing rounded off along slightly arcuate surfaces 62 substantiallyparallel to the cooperating surfaces 51 of rolls 44. Rollers 52 haveplain cylindrical peripheries 63 with receding end surfaces 64 similarto the surfaces 62 of rollers 53.

The fabric F in passing from rollers 52 to rollers 53 follows around thesurfaces 51, 58 of the roll 44 with some slight protrusion into thegroove 59. Wher the rolls and rollers meet on opposite surfaces of thefabric the pressure is radial and perpendicular at surfaces 58, 60, anysupporting axial thrust being taken by inclined surfaces 51, 62. In themodification illustrated in Figs. 5 to '1, the fabric may be treatedwhile on the spreader, for instance, by steaming nozzles 8| and airnozzle 82, the side rolls 44 preferably being driven as shown but theserolls 44 may be idlers, the rolls 4| being used to feed the fabric.

In the spreader shown in Fig. 8 the fabric F is fed to the side rolls 44by side belts 1| running on rollers 68, 69 and 10 in roll headsconnected together by the rods 14. The forward frame block 13 carried bythe adjustable cross rod 16 has the feed bow 15 protruding forward tospread the fabric over the frame. At the rear end the frame blocks 16are connected by the adjustable cross rod 11.

The driving system of this invention provides more contact area underdirect perpendicular pressure and consequently more driving power withless pressure of the side rubber rolls against the small rolls of thespreader. slippa e is largely eliminated and there is better control ofthe fabric propulsion with elimination of marking of the fabric likelyto be encountered where there is a point contact instead of a linearsurface engagement. In addition there is less wear and more life for therolls and the belts, and there are no sharp or sudden creasings ormanipulations of the fabric tending to overstretch it at any point ordisturb the regular texture of the knit loops.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for feeding fabric comprising a spreader frame adapted tofit within continuous lengths of tubular fabric, internal rollersengaging the inner surface of the fabric and having inclined surfaces ateach side of a central radial plane and substantially cylindricalsurfaces perpendicular to said plane and extending centrally from saidinclined surfaces, and external rolls engaging the outer surface of thefabric opposite the internal rollers and having inclined and cylindricalsurfaces matching and cooperating with the similar surfaces of the innerrollers to relatively center the rolls and rollers and floatinglysupport the propeller and simultaneously apply the direct perpendicuarpressure of the cylindrical surfaces to the fabric as it passes betweensaid rolls and rollers.

2. Fabric feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which eachinternal roller has oppositely inclined end surfaces with theintermediate cylindrical surface between them.

3. Fabric feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which eachexternal roll has oppositely inclined end surfaces with the intermediatecylindrical surface between them.

4. Fabric feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which there arefabric feeding means drawing the tubular fabric over the spreader andthe external rolls are idlers rotated by the movement of the fabric.

5. Fabric feeding apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which there arepower means for driving the external rolls to feed the fabric along thespreader.

6. Fabric feeding apparatus as set forth i claim 1 in which the internalrollers carry belting running in grooves in said rollers and in contactwith the inner surfaces of said fabric.

SAMUEL COHN. JULES G. WALTER.

